Posts by Michael Perkins — Contributor
-
Live chat: Dr. Zachary Schrag, Friday at 1 pm
This Friday at 1 pm, Greater Greater Washington will host its first live guest in what we hope will be a series of guests on the blog. Keep reading…
-
Metro’s options for balancing the budget
There are essentially four options at this point for closing Metro’s $29M budget gap. In order of my preference: Jurisdictional subsidy increases. This would require local area governments to search hard in their budgets for any additional funding that can balance Metro’s budget. The amounts needed by jurisdiction are:… Keep reading…
-
Metro board agrees to disagree on budget
After much discussion today, Metro’s budget commitee decided to take a multi-pronged approach to closing Metro’s $29M budget gap for FY 2010. During the next two weeks, each jurisdiction is going to come up with a combination of service cuts and subsidy increases that will balance their share of the shortfall. Some jurisdictions wanted to raise their contribution,… Keep reading…
-
Metro “punts”: Will release transit schedule data for Google and others
Metro listened to the riders. Yesterday at the DC Council oversight hearing for WMATA, General Manager John Catoe announced that Metro will release schedule and routing information in the open Google Transit Feed Specification format. They will post the information online for all to access March 23, according to Catoe: Keep reading…
-
Metrobus, MetroAccess fares have declined with inflation
Metrorail fares increased recently in 2003, 2004 and in 2008. What used to cost $1.10 now costs $1.65. Are Metrorail fares growing too fast? Or have fares not gone up enough compared to inflation? Have bus fares kept up with inflation? How has government support of rail, bus and paratransit changed over time? Keep reading…
-
Long Beach legislator proposes parking reform menu
California State Senator Lowenthal (D - Long Beach and vicinity) last week introduced a bill (PDF) that would require all California cities and counties to reform parking laws. The bill includes a menu of reforms with “points” for each, similar to the LEED ratings for buildings. It would require localities to enact reforms totaling 20 “points” by… Keep reading…
-
“All you can eat” driving promotes vehicular gluttony
Yesterday, we discussed how “all you can eat” pricing can incentivize transit ridership. What about driving? Keep reading…
-
Transit pricing: Time to go “all you can eat”?
When you pay for transportation, whether it’s for driving a private car or taking mass transit, there’s a continuum of payment methods, with “pay-per-use” on one end of the scale, and “unlimited use” on the other. Keep reading…
-
Proposed Metro service cuts take more from DC
According to this presentation, which the Metro Board’s Special Budget Committee will discuss Thursday, the previously proposed service cuts leave the District of Columbia with a $2.9 million surplus at the end. This means that those cuts to Metrobus and Metrorail affected the District of Columbia disproportionately through the funding formula. Chairman Jim Graham,… Keep reading…
-
Metro staff propose service cuts
At yesterday’s Finance Administration and Oversight working meeting, WMATA chief John Catoe and Chief Financial Officer Carol Kissal discussed potential “service adjustments”, i.e. service cuts, in order to close the remaining $73M budget hole for the 2010 fiscal year, which starts July 1. Keep reading…